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<h1><a href="https://archiveofourown.org/works/27493675">Secret Nightmares</a> by <a class='authorlink' href='https://archiveofourown.org/users/Cozy_coffee/pseuds/Cozy_coffee'>Cozy_coffee</a></h1>

<table class="full">

<tr><td><b>Category:</b></td><td>9-1-1: Lone Star (TV 2020)</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Genre:</b></td><td>Angst, Boyfriends, Community: comment_fic, Emotional Hurt/Comfort, Hurt/Comfort, M/M, Nightmares, Shooting</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Language:</b></td><td>English</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Status:</b></td><td>Completed</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Published:</b></td><td>2016-09-10</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Updated:</b></td><td>2016-09-10</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Packaged:</b></td><td>2021-05-06 21:48:01</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Rating:</b></td><td>General Audiences</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Warnings:</b></td><td>Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Chapters:</b></td><td>1</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Words:</b></td><td>680</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Publisher:</b></td><td>archiveofourown.org</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Story URL:</b></td><td>https://archiveofourown.org/works/27493675</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Author URL:</b></td><td>https://archiveofourown.org/users/Cozy_coffee/pseuds/Cozy_coffee</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Summary:</b></td><td><div class="userstuff">
              <p>A fill for the comment_fic prompt; Any, any, "Now I know you're better"</p>
            </div></td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Relationships:</b></td><td>Carlos Reyes/TK Strand</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Comments:</b></td><td>4</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Kudos:</b></td><td>48</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Collections:</b></td><td>Bite Sized Bits of Fic from 2016</td></tr>

</table>

<a name="section0001"><h2>Secret Nightmares</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="fff_chapter_notes fff_head_notes"><b>Author's Note:</b><ul class="associations">
      <li>For <a href="https://archiveofourown.org/users/shallowness/gifts">profshallowness (shallowness)</a>.</li>



    </ul></div><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <p>Carlos loved TK dearly and with such powerful fondness that when his sweetheart was lying in the hospital bed unconscious and balancing between life and death, Carlos was nearly out of his mind with worry.</p><p>TK was going to wake up. Carlos was certain of that. TK had been shot, but he was strong. He would pull through. He refused to allow the dark thoughts of TK dying to smother him in fear and sadness. </p><p>Carlos refused to believe that he would never kiss TK or hold him in his arms, never give him that charming smirk that makes TK flush rosy red in his cheeks. TK would overcome this injury.</p><p>Yet as the days passed with TK unresponsive, his heart began to break. At night, alone in bed without TK safe and snuggled up in his arms, the fear is too strong to sleep. He feels it tighten in his chest, a familiar eerie presence sinks into his room and curls up with him, sending shivers down his spine. The goosebumps dance on his skin. Try as he might to find the realm of peaceful, sweet dreams, the haunting thoughts ravage his mind. </p><p>At last, like a bird soaring out of the heavens, on a day when Carlos felt like his heart had all but shattered, TK woke. Carlos, as gently as he can, wraps his arms around TK and hugs him, breathing a sigh of relief. He closes his eyes and held onto the love of his life as if to never let him go.</p><p>Everything is quiet around them, and the weight of all the sorrowful sadness seems to lift from his chest and he feels light as a feather; A blissful warmth rushes over him, makes him boneless, floating on a high of love as TK palms his cheeks and draws him into a kiss as sweet as honey.</p><p>That night, tucked in the hospital bed together, they sleep in each other’s arms, hearts beating as one. No nightmares haunt Carlos; he dreams pleasant dreams of his beautiful angel.</p><p>However, once TK came home and tried to ease back into daily life, nightmares began to haunt him. TK hasn’t slept peacefully since the night of the shooting. Not that Carlos would expect him to dream sweet dreams, but it's been nearly two months. Things are great between them and at work, and Owen is three weeks cancer free—everything has been coming up aces.</p><p>Yet TK wakes up in a cold sweat, gasping as he fights to breathe past the haunting nightmares. Carlos tucks him into the soft sheets, and TK isn’t a child that needs to be coddled, but when Carlos swaddled the sheets around him, he smiles. He is exhausted from lack of sleep he takes comfort in Carlos tenderness.</p><p>The slightest push urges him back into a cozy bed made of fluffy white pillows and soft warm sheets. Still, he resists sleep. In his nightmares, he sees his own life, his soul, fading and ascending to the heavens, far away from friends, his dad and Carlos, the love of his life.</p><p>He sees horrors every time he closed his eyes. The nerve shaking anxiety has gotten the best of him. Huffing, he rolls over, reaching to pull up the sheet over his head, attempting to block out the dark thoughts that haunt him.</p><p>Carlos kindly hugs him and presses a feather soft gentle kiss to his forehead, arms that promise him everything will be alright so long as they are together. Gentle arms give him peace, keeping the fear away.</p><p>His breathing is rough for a second, he cannot find air, but then Carlos whispers to him “Just breathe, sweetheart. You are safe with me,” and suddenly like magic TK's lungs fill with cool air and the tension in his body vanishes.</p><p>TK smiles softly, feeling more at ease with Carlos close by. His body relaxes, and sleep comes to him. TK slumps boneless into Carlos arms, laying his head on his chest as Carlos hugs him in a heaven of love.</p><p>♥ END ♥</p>
  </div><div class="fff_chapter_notes fff_foot_notes"><b>Author's Note:</b><blockquote class="userstuff"><p>
  <a href="https://comment-fic.livejournal.com/750700.html?thread=99054444#t99054444">Written for this prompt!</a>
</p></blockquote></div></div>
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